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Old 08-24-2013, 06:29 PM   #1
joc
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slide out on an older Dutchman

First post so please bear with me.

Bought this trailer used in 2001. It is a 1997, 36 foot with a 14 foot slide. I love it so don't try to talk me into a new one. It is very "un travel trailer". NO RV furniture, no RV carpet, not even an RV shower (solid glass door regular one piece fiberglass shower purchased from Home Depot). We bought it partially ripped apart and finished the job ourselves.

The slide out motor is at the very front, drivers side, close to the battery.

Had a heck of a time getting the slide in yesterday. Motor wouldn't work even with direct hookup off my pickup and jumper cables.

Then couldn't get the manual jack to work. Yes, it was full of oil. Yes, it had power going into the switch. The slide has been out for almost 4 years (I know, big mistake), so it was greased well (there are grease zerks) before I tried to slide it in. Yes, turned the little knob counterclockwise before I started pumping. FINALLY, got the neighbor to crawl under the trailer while I ran the manual pump. He used a pipe wrench to turn something while I jacked and jacked. It finally went all the way in.

I have no idea what model it is-just the biggest one I could find when I was looking to buy 12 years ago. There is a plate inside the kitchen cabinet. I called Dutchman and gave them every bit of info off the plate. They can't tell me what kind of pump to buy or anything about what the box is that is directly behind the battery below the bottom of the trailer and small hot and negative wires go to this box and then continue to the motor. The box is aluminum, probably 3" x 4".

I am a recently widowed 65 yo female. I want to move this travel trailer to my newly purchased lot in Parker Az. But I sure don't want to hassle trying to get the slide back out. So thought I would buy a new pump. What kind (the one currently in there is Dewalde). I can only see the serial number. The model number is on the back side and you would have to disconnect the hydraulic hoses and pull out the pump to be able to see the numbers on the plate. Even tried putting a mirror behind the pump and still couldn't read the numbers.

I am pretty sure I can install a new one myself (I am pretty darn mechanical-I own an over the road trucking company). Looks like two wires and two hydraulic hoses with two bolts holding the pump/motor to the floor of the compartment. But what do I buy or where do I find the info on what to buy?

Any help would certainly be appreciated. Thanks
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Old 08-24-2013, 06:49 PM   #2
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PARTS AND SERVICE MANUAL for DEWALD HYDRAULIC SLIDE OUT

RV Parts Used Dewald Hydraulic Pump p/n OK21500S Used RV Parts Repair and Accessories | used dewald hydraulic pump, dewald pump p/n ok21500s, dewald hydraulic pump | visonerv.com

Something to check out, I haven't any idea of what you have but these came up with just a simple search on the Internet.
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Old 08-24-2013, 07:19 PM   #3
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Thank you

I studied and studied the service manual (there is a free version on the Power Gear website). BUT they are all for newer models-most with cables and not with hydraulic rams.

The picture for sale looks SIMILAR but there are 4 wires going to that one and there are only two to mine. Wonder what the other two wires are for and still want to know what that box is that the wires to the pump goes to. I may not need an entire new pump-just something in the box. But I can't even figure out how to get into it. It appears totally sealed unless you start dismantling the kitchen floor and come in from the top.

I guess what I need to know is exactly what model pump is in there. But I really didn't want to have to take the entire thing apart just to see the model number. If I do, I am going to have to bleed the air out of the hydraulics to even get it to work on manual and that could be a real pain.

Thanks again for the help. Isn't there some way to find out what was installed in a particular travel trailer? I know semis come with build sheets and they are accessible at the dealers for years if you need parts. Maybe not with travel trailers.
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Old 08-24-2013, 07:37 PM   #4
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It looks like a pair of wires go to a shunt of some sort. That would be the bar looking thing with the whole in it.

I looked through the rest of the pictures for the 'used' unit and they show a switch panel w/switch so maybe the other pair go there.

One of the pictures has a contact phone number so maybe they can give you some support. I'd take a few pictures of your pump that you might be able to post here and send to them if they seem helpful.

Build sheets on RVs? Read through this forum and you'll find that the dealers don't even know what's in a rig.

Good luck but don't give up on us, someone will help you get it figured out.
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Old 08-25-2013, 10:34 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by sundancer 87 View Post
It looks like a pair of wires go to a shunt of some sort. That would be the bar looking thing with the whole in it.

I looked through the rest of the pictures for the 'used' unit and they show a switch panel w/switch so maybe the other pair go there.

One of the pictures has a contact phone number so maybe they can give you some support. I'd take a few pictures of your pump that you might be able to post here and send to them if they seem helpful.

Build sheets on RVs? Read through this forum and you'll find that the dealers don't even know what's in a rig.

Good luck but don't give up on us, someone will help you get it figured out.
Thanks again for the information. I really am surprised there are no build sheets. Don't you get an order form or something if you spec out a new travel trailer?

I didn't have anything better to do today except get greasy so took the pump out. Hardest part was disconnecting the two hydraulic lines. Now it has to be whatever is in that little aluminum box that I can't figure out how to get into it without destroying the kitchen floor under the sink.

The old pump works fine (motor runs at least) when hooked directly to the pickup battery. And the hydraulics must work or we would not have been able to manually jack it in.

Does anyone know what that aluminum box is? Can I just hook the pump back up directly to the battery without whatever that aluminum box is and then disconnect the pump when I get the slide in or out? I can just put new wires and connectors direct to the battery out the side of the compartment (or even leave it on the ground-have enough hydraulic line to hook it up on the ground). OR is there something special in that little aluminum box?

I REALLY don't want to have to call the RV guy. Last time, his call out charge was $200 JUST TO LOOK. Then $145.00 per hour. That is more than it costs to work on my semis at Peterbilt or Kenworth. I am almost 80 miles from the closest RV repair shop, so dragging the trailer into the shop, leaving it for a few days and going back to get it would be almost 320 miles and is almost as expensive as calling the guy out. This should not be as complicated a problem as it is turning into.
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Old 08-25-2013, 11:14 PM   #6
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Someone that has spec'd out an RV would have to answer that question. I get the feeling when one has an RV built the way one wants it one checks to see if it was built as requested. I don't see a build sheet included but I could be wrong.

Could the aluminum box be the reservoir?
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Old 08-26-2013, 12:58 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by sundancer 87 View Post
Someone that has spec'd out an RV would have to answer that question. I get the feeling when one has an RV built the way one wants it one checks to see if it was built as requested. I don't see a build sheet included but I could be wrong.

Could the aluminum box be the reservoir?
Thanks again for the thoughts.

I am still very surprised that when these RV manufacturers put together an RV (even if not spec'd out specifically for a particular person) that they do not have some kind of list of what went into a particular RV for future reference and replacement of parts or even recalls.

The aluminum box is only about an 1" thick and maybe 3" x 4" with the hot and negative wires going in and then coming out direct to the pump motor. The reservoir is the black round thing on the right side of the pump with the little cap on top in the pictures you sent. Mine and that one-the reservoir is where the writing is that says Devalde (and where the serial number is). Someone took off the little cap on mine and added a fitting and a piece of clear plastic fill pipe which makes it very easy to put Dextron in the reservoir with a small funnel.

Someone, someplace has to know what that aluminum box is. I am thinking a circuit breaker or solenoid or something electrical just because it isn't very big and both the hot and negative wires go in to it and then come out direct to the motor. That's why I was thinking of just bypassing it as long as I immediately disconnected the wires from the battery or the pickup after I moved the slide. It may just be like an overload protector or something.

Someone will know. Thanks again for all the help.
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Old 08-26-2013, 01:00 PM   #8
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Well then, your description tells me the box may contain the shunt similar to the shunt that is exposed on the 'used' unit. Until you know for sure I wouldn't bypass the box. The shunt may be used for circuit protection and may have done just that.

Not having seen a photo of your pump and its parts I can only guess.
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